Unsure road to Seoul

When you try to register for Seoul Marathon as an overseas runner, you will get frustrated and feel like... well, they don’t really want you there. At least this is how I felt.

I've been to South Korea before and really loved it. It is beautiful, people are nice and food just amazing. Then, about 3 months ago I decided to go there again and run a marathon. Because why not? Even if my family doesn't want to go with me (too cold apparently), I know the place and I would really love to run there. But then... I tried to register...

Seoul Marathon does have a website www.seoul-marathon.com but guess what, they don’t update it really until about 3 months before the next run. Not even with a new date. So, I had to find a date for 2017 Seoul Marathon from some other places on the internet. /2020 update - the website looks much better now than in 2017 and also looks like there is more information in English/

Then you try to register, and soon realise that this beautiful website is all in Korean!!! Hahaha... no wait, I’ve found something in the top left corner. “Hurray!” I thought, I can change language to English. So I did. ‘Foreigners package pick up’... but wait, I need to register first. Wherever you click later and get pop-up messages, they will be all in Korean. Welcome to the world of Google translate.

When finally on some specific, but for most of the time mysterious date you’ll get onto the registration form... the form will be, of course, mostly in Korean. Love your Google translate. So you translate and try to understand, and finally fill, and... yes! reach the payment options. Hahaha... again. You can’t use any of the credit cards you know, oh no, no Paypal either. You are totally stuck.

Then you have really 2 options; to contact the organisers or, like me, find Korean friends who can help you and pay using their card and then you can reimburse them. Why I didn't contact the marathon office? Oh well, I did, and it took them many days to, I think, Google translate my questions and Google translate their replies. After I finalised my registration with the help of friends, just then got a reply from the office that read exactly: “Hello. I’m sorry to be late. Hmm... It seem to problem by Max OS... If you don’t mind, I will provide virtual account and swift code. Please answer. Thank you.” Yes, it was too late and no, I could not answer, although tried many times... all my emails were bouncing back.

It doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to register when you have no Korean friends. I believe you still can, but it is just very, very hard and frustrating process.

Oh wait... it’s not the end of my communication problems with organisers. When registering through their website I had to select the size of a t-shirt that I’m going to get and I did select size 90 (S in Australia). Then, a month later received another strange email; “Dear Madam. Hello ! I’m the person in charge, Seoul Marathon. Your souvenir T-shirt size, It hasn’t been decided yet. Please inform your T-shirt size. Regards!” I tried to reply several times... all my emails were bouncing back again.

Very frustrated by then I’ve found a different email address on their website and it worked... too late, I got a reply “I’m sorry but may I provide 85 or 95 ? (unfortunately, 90 size is soldout.)” I chose 95...

I hope I am actually registered. Never got any confirmation emails. Well, I guess I'm going to find out soon...